Bicycle seat height adjusting means



July 7, 1953 M, v|K

BICYCLE SEAT HEIGHT ADJUSTING MEANS Filed May 23. 1950 INVENTOR. M/LLARD vlc/r 4MM/64m ma lJllllVllllL-ll llllllllllllw-lllllrlllllla .N

A T TORNE YS l Y -Figure2 is a longitudinal, Y n

tional view on anenlarged scale ofthe seatl heightv lPatented July 7,` 1953' BICYCLE SEAT HEIGHT ADJUSTINGME'ANS Minimil Vick, Portsmeumy. Application'May 2 3, 195o, serial No. 163,657

2 claims. y (C1. 15s-5.24)

` This lnventionrelates to bicycle seat'height adjusting means and more. particularly to means for' adjusting the height of a bicycle seat while the bicycle is being ridden; A. i

It'y is amongr the objects of the invention t provide an improved bicycle seat height adjust- -naledin the'journaltube orsleeve I0 andal handle ing means which can be used to adjustably raise and lower the bicycle seat while v the bicycle is being riddenand which includes anl improved latch mechanism' for positively'locking the seat in adjusted position, which has a positive stop for' limiting downward'moyement of the seat to the lowermost position of 'adjustment and for avoidingr damage to the latch mechanism, which` can be r installed; on an existing bicycle withno material rmodiiication o f the bicycle construc- .tion and does not interfere in any way with the 'normal operation of the bicycle, and which is simpleand durable in construction, economical to manufacture, easy to install,v and neat and attractive in appearance.

'Other objectsand advantages will'become apbar post I8 extends upwardly from thefront' fork Il and the upper end of the journal tube I0 and the handle bar'unit I 9 is secured to the top of this post.

and,r in accordance with the present invention; seat height adjusting means' are interposedbetween the post I I and the seatZ.

The seat height adjusting means comprises 4an f elongated sleeve 2| which is externally 'screw threaded at one end (and internallyy 'screw threaded at itsopposite end and is received in the rear post i I as is `clearly'indicated in' Figure `l. A screw plug 22 is threaded'into the internally screw threaded'endof the sleeve 2'I and constiparent'-from a consideration'of the following de-y scription and thei appended claims 'in-'conjunc-k tion with the accompanying drawing,"whe`rein;

Figure 1V is aside elevationv ofga fragmentary portio'n'o a bicycle'with seat adjusting'means illustrative of the invention operatively installed thereon;

adjusting means illustrated in Figurel; Figure 3 isa view similar to Figure 2 of a frag'- mentary portion of the seat height vadjusting, nifeans showing thev parts in a different operative position from that" illustrated in Figure 2';

'I `Figure l is a transverse 1cross sectional view'on the line ll--II of Figure'Z;

Figuref is a cross sectionalfviewiisimilar tov 'figureV 4 butfshowing the parts l in a ldifferent` operative ,position from that illustrated in Figurel; v

Figure 6 is a iront elevational view of ka fragmen-tary upper 'portion of the seat height adj ustihg meansl showingstructural details;y and Figure is a transverse cross sectional view on an enlarged scale on' the line 'I-T of Figure 2;

j" `With continued reference to the drawing, the

fragmentary portion of the bicycle frame illus,-`

Vt'rated in Figure l includes a front iork journal: sleeve or tubev IG, a rear tubular post I I long ii- I tudinal membersv I2; IS'and rIII Yconnecting the front fork journall sleeve I6 to the rear post II.,

Wheel, not illustrated. Arfront fork I'Iis jourtutes a spring. abutment `and an elongated vseat post 23 vis. slidably received in' the'y sleeve 2| and` extends from thefexternally screw threaded end of the sleeve;VA At its outer end this seat post is provided with a seatr engaging formation 24` and is provided with longitudinally aligned and apartznotches 25.- Y

A coiled compression spring' 26' is-dispos'ed inl the sleeve 2| between the spring abutment plug s 22fand `the inner end' of the seat post 23 to re-y yondv the llowest position ofy mounted in they hollow housing.

siliently urge the seat post outwardly of the* sleeve 2i and a pin 27 is disposed within the spring26 v,and has atv onel end a head 28 which rests on the inner end of thescrew plug 22. The

seat post is provided on its inner end ywith a springfguide boss 28 and the pin 2l has la" length such that when the seat post is in its lowest position of adjustment the head 28 of the pin'rests in the al1-rangement; illustrated, the hollow j housing comprises 'an upper` plate 32 ofl recand rear forks I5 and` IE5 forfthezrear bicycle Y tangular shape, a lower plate 33` also of rectangu-j larshape and an'apertured rectangular spacer ySII fdisposed'between the marginal portions 'ofjthe 'upper and'lOWer plates vand holding thev plates in substantially parallel `relationship spaced apart a distance substantially equal to thethick- Iness of the flat,V rectangular lbolt3I. The upper and'lower plates 32 andA 33 of the housing'and` i The bicycle seat 20 is supported above the upper end'of the rear post II of the frame,-

spaced sudabiy Y the spacer 34 are secured together in assembled relationship by suitable means, such as the bolts 35 and the lower plate 33 is provided with a centrally located, internally screw threaded aperture which receives the externally screw threaded upper end of the sleeve 2 I. The housing may be secured in proper position on the sleeve by a shoulder or lock nut 36 mounted on the sleeve and contacting the lower, outer side of the lower plate 33 around the sleeve receiving aperture in this plate.

The upper plate 32 has a post receiving apern ture 31 therein in alignment with the sleeve reonal shape and ts the post 23 so that the post cannot rotate in the housing 39.

' The latch bolt 3| is shorter than the opening in thespacer 34* so that the bolt can slide longi-v tudinally within the housing 30. rIhe bolt is provided with an opening 3S, preferably of rectangular shape, the opening 39 having a width slightly greater than the post 23 but a length larger than the width of the post 23, Ythrough which the seat post 23 slidably extends.

The bolt 3! has a thickness slightly less than the width of the notches 25 in the seat post and when the bolt is in its operative position, as illustrated in Figure 5, the bolt at one side of the opening 38 therein is engaged in a selected notch in the'seat post to hold the post at the corresponding position ofadjustment relative to the sleeve 2|. A coiled compression spring 39 is disposed between one end of the bolt 3| and the adjacent end of the housing spacer` 34 to resil- Viently urge .the bolt into engagement in the notches of the seat post 23. A Bowden wire 4G extends from the housing 39 to the handle bars |9 of the bicycle and has its casing ll secured at one end to the housing 3|] by a suitable clamp i2 and secured at its opposite end to the handle bars I9 by Aa 4clamp 43. Clamps 44 and l5 secure the Bowden wire intermediate its length to the upper longitudinal member l2 of the bicycle frame. The spacer 3s has an aperture in its front end and the core wire 45 of the Bowden cable extends through this aperture and through the spring 39 and is secured to the latch bolt 3|. A hand knob 41 is secured on the other end of the core wire 45 so that this wire can. be manually pulled through the casing 4| to move the bolt 3| against the force of springk 39 in a direction to release the bolt from engagement in the notches of the seat post, the bolt when in post disengaging position being shown in Figure 4.

When the bicycle rider desires to change the height of the seat, he adjusts his weight on the seat by placing the necessary portion of his weight on the bicycle pedals, until the bolt 3| is substantially free. He then pulls on the knob 41 to release the bolt from the notch in the seat post in which the bolt is engaged and then either raises himself if her desires a higher seat adjustment or lowers himself if he desires a lower seat adjustment, until substantially the desired seat height is obtained. He then releases the knob andrnoves the seat up and down a slight amount until the nearest notch in the seat post is brought 4 disengaged from all of the notches in the seat post the post will descend until its spring guide boss 29 contacts the upper end of pin 21 whereupon the post is stopped and the bolt then engages in the notch 25 corresponding to the lowest position of adjustment of the seat post. This prevents damage to the latch mechanism by impact of the descending seat post on the tongue of the latch mechanismwhen the notch corresponding to the lowest position of adjustment of the seat post comes opposite the tongue.

Suitable means are provided for restraining the spring 26 from moving the seat post entirely out of the sleeve 2| yif lthe knob 4l is pulled while the weight of a rider is not on the bicycle seat. Such means may conveniently comprise an elongated groove 48 provided in the seat post and having a length longitudinal of the post substantiallyv equal to the distance between the end notches 25. A set screw or pin 49 is inserted through the sleevev 2| and engages at its inner end in the groove i3 so that upward movement of the seat post will be stopped when 'this pin comes to the lower end of vthe groove 48. 'When it is desiredto remove the seat post entirely from the sleeve the screw or pin 49 must be withdrawn to free the seat post.

The invention may be embodied in other specie forms without departing from the spirit or into alignment with the bolt 3| whereupon thev essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is, however, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are, therefore, intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed is: l. In a support for a vehicle seat, artubular post having a closed lower end and an open upper end, a housing mounted on the upper end of the post and extending crosswiseof said post and extending jbeyond opposite sides of the post, said housing being formed with a chamber extending I' lengthwise within the housing and opening through one end of the housing, a latch bolt slidably confined in, said chamber for movement lengthwise of the housing, said latch bolt being formed with an opening at a point intermediate the ends of the latch bolt, a polygonal seat post slidably positioned through the open upper end of said tubular post and rising through the opening in the latch bolt, said seat post being formed with vertically spaced notches, said opening in the latch bolt having a width only slightly greater than thewidth of the seat post and providing opposed edges on the latch bolt slidably engagingv sides of the seat post, and precluding rotation of the seat post relative to the housing, said latch bolt opening being elongated in the direction of the length of the latch bolt and being longer than the width of the seat post whereby said latch bolt can be moved endwise relative to the housing and to the seat post, said latch bolt opening providing a notch engaging edge on said latch bolt at one end Vof said opening, for engaging in selected notches of the seat post, spring means biasing the latch bolt in a direction to normally engage the notch engaging edge of the latch bolt with notches of the seat post, and releasing means connected to the latch bolt and extending from the housing for retracting the latch bolt against the resistance of said spring means.

2. In a support for a vehicle seat, a tubular post having a closed lower end and an open upper end, a housing mounted on-the'upper end of the post and extending crosswise of said post and extending beyond opposite sides of the post, said housing'being formed with a chamber extending than the width of the seat post and providing opposed edges on the latch bolt-slidably engaging sides ofthe seat post, and precluding rotation of the seat post relative to the housing, said latch' bolt opening being elongated in the direction of the length of the latch bolt and being longer than the width of the seat post whereby said latch bolt can be moved endwise relative to the vhousing and to the seat post, said latch bolt opening providing a notch engaging edge on said latch bolt at one end of said opening, for engaging in selected notches of the seat post, spring meansl biasing the latch bolt in a direction to normally engage the notch engaging edge of the latch bolt withvnotches of the seat post, and releasing means connected to the latch bolt and extending from the housing for retracting the latch bolt against the resistance of said spring means, said seat post terminating at its lower end in a reduced pin dening a shoulder surrounding lsaid pin on the lower end of the seat post, a helical expanding spring in said tubular post, said spring having a lower end and an upper end, the upper end of the spring abutting said shoulder and surround- .ing said pin, a shaft extending longitudinally in said helical spring, said shaft having a lower end formed with an enlarged head with which the Y lower end of the spring is abutted, said head being arranged to abut the closed lower end of the tubular post, said shaft having an upper end normally spaced from said pin and arranged to be engaged'by said pin as said seat post is. moved downwardly against the resistance of said helical spring to lan extreme depressed position.

MILLARD VICK.

References Cited in the flle of this patent Y UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 427,076 Hamminger May 6, 1890 t FOREIGN PATENTS Number Y Country Date 149,036 Austria Mar. 25, 1937 558,420 Germany Sept. 7, 1932 23,530 Great Britain 1901 

